//------------------------------// // 31 The beginning of the end // Story: Blood Curse Boutique // by Rarity Belle //------------------------------// The red rims of the unicorn became visible to the world once again. They started to gently observe the area she had fallen asleep in. Which happened to be the floor of the living room within the boutique. Ever so carefully did Rarity try to stand back on her hooves before there was a pounding headache that took over deep within her skull. Under a loud moan of pain was one of her forehooves brought over to the sore part of her head and ever so gently it started to rub it. “D-Did I pass out, a-again?” mumbled Rarity in an angry tone. The unicorn still hadn't taken note or fully realized the changes she had been through the night before. A big part was due to the fact that the wings were curled up and the fangs had retracted back in her mouth. Soon enough had the mare to live with the pounding pain in her brain. She made the way over to the kitchen with a couple of slow taken steps. From the moment she had woken up, there had been a thirst in her throat. One she had never experienced before in all of time. The mare didn't had a clue what could have made her so thirsty for she remembered nothing of the past night. All of it was just erased from her mind. In the kitchen did the sun its gentle turn while it was making its way all over the land. But the unicorn charged up her horn and closed all the curtains without much thinking. It was something that was done in order to prevent herself from walking straight into the lights it cast. The unicorn of grace was not even wanting to look at the sun given the sheer volume her headache had. Her horn kept itself charged slightly in order to pick up a glass from the cabinet before it was placed under the tab for some water. She brought the glass to her lips and began to drink it empty in mere seconds, she had gulped the liquid down her throat. “Ahh, how refreshing,” she spoke to herself with a light chuckle. The glass was simply set in the sink below her and Rarity turned herself around to leave the place as it was. But soon after she left the kitchen, the thirst returned as quickly as it came and she gently shook her head. Rarity always had been the stubborn mare when it came to dealing with matters of her body, whether it be physical injuries or illnesses. She just kept going towards her working area in order to do what she loves doing and earned her living with it. Yet her eyes had missed the splatters of blood as a whole. Splatters that appeared to be spots of shadow from the sun were the things they appeared in her eyes. It were that same set of eyes which soon after that fell upon the many unfinished designs that were just screaming artistic perfection already. Even if they weren't done by a long shot. “Now, let’s see here,” she spoke to herself while she made her way over to the desk. Rarity dropped her slender body in the chair behind it while the glasses were levitated over to her nose under some mental strain. The pain became a little bit too much for her and she let the glasses fall in her hooves which were then brought them over to her nose. As she looked through the lenses, Rarity blinked a couple times in order to get her sight straight again. “Maybe I need to wear them more often. Hmm, maybe mother was right after all, my eyes are getting worse by the day,” she mumbled to herself as she opened her eyes for the last time. Before her and on the desk were countless pieces of papers of both orders and invoices alike to be found. Her forehooves moved and sorted all of them while she took a few selected ones and they were placed on a small stack. “Invoices here, that stack still has to be done, as the other one is done...” Even with her pounding headache she still tried to do her daily duties as a shop owner. One had to give her credit for being a tough mare when it came to that. The more her eyes glared over the pieces of paper, the more the administration of the boutique as a whole got done while seconds turned into minutes and minutes in an hour. Both her forelegs were then holding her head as it was lowered down while she released moans of utter discomfort before just leaving the desk. “I can’t work like this, with this pounding headache... The store stays closed for the day I’m afraid.” Rarity stood up from the chair and walked out of the area. With pain and effort she moved up to the front door of the boutique as she went through a small box with cards that could be hanged under the open/closed sign. There was a secondary and smaller sign which said ‘due to illness’ that got placed below the ‘closed’ sign as the mare allowed a deep sigh to leave her nose. She felt herself like a complete wreck and it would only get worse if she didn't took her rest. Any normal pony would have said to her to take an aspirin or two for the headache but the ivory coated mare didn't like to take medicine. Instead she just let the body take care of it while she would continue to work, but what she was suffering had become too much for her. And just as she turned herself around to hop up the stairs, there was a shock of remembrance went through her body as she spoke one name out loud. “Fancy Pants!” ~~~~   The well-known stallion from Canterlot would have come down to Ponyville during the upcoming evening. He had arranged a meeting to share a cup of tea with the mare. Rarity had waited ever so long for an opportunity like that, for it would boost her image in Canterlot if he saw her many wonderful designs. And aside the wonderful chance, it was just nice to see him somewhere else then the high atmosphere of Canterlot. “I am not going to call him off, sick or not, it shall go on,” said the mare determined while she walked up the stairs. “Stay in bed all day and keep myself calm. Not expecting any visitors today so that should be fairly good.” She walked through the hallway and up to her room while mumbling even more things in herself. Under a soft plof on the mattress itself was her body met with the near heavenly comfort of her ever so beloved bed. She scooted around in it for a little while in order to herself even more comfortable as her horn changed itself up. Ever so gently it were the blankets that got pulled over the sick mare whose eyes closed themselves. No sounds could be heard within the borders of the room, nor the whole boutique for that matter. That was with the only exception being the slow in- and exhale of Rarity which echoed gently from time to time. Yet the day kept going in its normal routine, there were of course ponies who stood before the door of the boutique and read the little note that was left behind for them. Some nodded in an understanding manner towards it, for nopony can be working all year around without getting sick at least once. While others were a little bit disappointed for their order had been delayed by it for they really needed it. And then there was the third kind who erupted out in anger while they cursed to themselves as they walked away. Many ponies were just doing their daily routine of going to work and in the end came home again before the night would fall. The sun lowered itself behind the castle of Canterlot while the moon rose up at its own pace to allow the night to begin. It was through the elegant light of the moon that went through her curtains that Rarity gently woke up from her slumber. She felt herself a bit better but still not up to her best. Under a soft sigh were the blankets pushed away from her body before she made her way downstairs. Yet during her little trip was the thought of what she would have for dinner coming to mind. Of course she had noticed her wings being curled up around her body but the mare didn't even looked up at them. All because of the whole fact that the night was lost from her mind, she came to the assuming that she had made it during it. Not that it truly minded her for it was a perfect fit. Her mind was still broken but it was being picked back to order by the remaining forces in her body. Though it did left certain and crucial points out of it because of whatever reason. But when Rarity stood in the kitchen didn't she seemed to be hungry for anything she had in house. So instead she just prepared everything for a lovely cup of tea. Tea that would be used for the upcoming meeting but also for the thirst that had returned to her, or better said, which never left her. The unicorn just sat down on a chair behind the kitchen table with the cup being held tight in her forehooves. She dropped two sugar cubes in it for whatever reason. But her red rims just glared a little lifeless before them out. They had set their sight on infinity and possibly far beyond it. With care was the cup brought to her lips and she took a small sip. The warm liquids entered her mouth before it lubricated her throat a little and lusting the thirst by a little bit. But by far it wasn't enough for her. “Ugh, what happened yesterday? Don’t tell me that Pinkie had another party to which I attended to,” she mumbled up after the cup was set back down on the table again. Rarity shook her head to side from side as she gave her thoughts the free range to do whatever they wanted to. Countless ideas were being made up about just what could have happened before she took yet another sip from her tea. As the liquids got swallowed and the cup was set back on the table once more, there was a loud sigh that left through her nose. Her stare went down into the cup and regained its near infinity by looking at the still standing liquids. ~~~~   Time ticked away on the clocks and she wanted to pour herself another cup before a knock on her door could be heard. A knock that caused her ears to perk themselves in surprise. “Miss Rarity?” the voice of a stallion called out quietly as the mare blinked at the unexpected visitor as her mind placed the sound in its rightful place. A small smile got formed before the mare made her way over to the door in an elegant manner. Rarity set her hoof on the doorknob and she turned it open for him. While the white coated, blue maned stallion looked at the mare, he quickly took note of the red eyes she had. Fancy Pants hesitated a little bit before he then gently asked the burning question on his mind. “I hope I am not interrupting from your recovery, now am I?” “No not at all, my dear,” replied Rarity. She held the door open a bit wider for him. “Please, come in.” “If you don’t mind me asking first, what is the illness you are suffering? For I might have given it over to you from Fleur,” he said to her. In his eyes it could be seen that he truly was afraid that he might have been the stallion who gave it to her. “Just a little headache from a party I had yesterday evening, darling. Nothing all too serious thankfully,” answered Rarity. Of course she lied with a smile, even though it was a weak one. “Hmm... Fleur is having a terrible stomach flu, I do suppose that entering can not much more harm. Maybe you have been overworking yourself as well, dear,” he spoke with a small smile of his own as he set his hooves inside the warm boutique. His eyes were given the time to inspect the rather simple but effective design of the building as well as the magnificent interior design. “I do have to admit, it is quite the lot different than I expected the place to be. It is so much more simple, yet having its share flair of elegance.” He turned his attention back to her while she closed the door after he had entered. “Almost like yourself.” A small but bright red blush appeared on the cheeks of Rarity as she stumbled a little to get her words out before finally speaking. “W-Why thank you, Fancy P-Pants.” She walked past him and then it fell in his eyes. The fact that she also wore the purple, near transparent, nightgown. He decided not to make a remark about it even though the question was yet another one that burned on his mind. Fancy fixed his monocle before his eye and he could understand her choice of clothing given the circumstances she compensated in. “So, would you like to see some of my current designs?” she asked him with a polite smile. “Well I can not say no to that, now can I? A master artist who is asking me to watch their latest work. I would love to if I may say so. Right after you, milady,” his hoof moved in a polite manner as he was ready to follow her to wherever it might be she would lead him too. Rarity was delighted by his answer and the smile kept standing below her muzzle. Yet on the inside she couldn't hold herself anymore, so delighted she was. The mare and stallion made their way over to her working area as he followed her without questioning. At first they walked through the main shop area where most of the business magic happened. But usually that what laid behind the screens was often to be considered more interesting. The stallion had to admit, from the dresses that stood on display to the products that laid on the very shelves, everything was already looking marvelous in his eyes. ~~~~   Yet it was only after they had entered through the archway that the eyes of the stallion allowed themselves to fall upon the many and mostly unfinished masterpiece of designs that had taken their residence in the room. But the view was a lightly obscured since none of the candles were on. It was a problem that was solved with a single charge of Rarity’s horn. While the charge left her horn it caused all of the candles erupted in their little flames and imitated the area. “Mastered the arts of fire as well, Rarity?” the stallion spoke up with a light chuckle. He was quite amazed by her actions. “Now I can see why they call you, the mare on fire back in Canterlot.” Rarity allowed herself a light giggle before her horn lost its coloring and she turned herself around to face him. “Oh, oh, oh, it is not because of that dear. No, that is because of my ability to work out so much, in such a little time. No, the arts of fire, are another story. Long one short, it was a long training session with Twilight really. She wanted me to burst fires like a flamethrower of some kind in order to melt the gems that I would find. However, it never worked for me and all I could do was, well...” She nudged her head over to the little flames to tell the rest of the tale. The stallion couldn't help it but to give her a polite chuckle with his left forehoof against his mouth. Yet it was only after the hoof was set back on the ground that he had a good look at the lit room. And it was almost instantly that his jaw dropped a little bit at the sight that was created before him while his eyes went passed all of them, watching them one by one with the greatest of cares. ~~~~                 At first he saw a very nice gala gown for a mare, its design happened to be hinting towards the  countryside side of life and he couldn't leave the question being answered. “Miss Rarity, if I may ask, for who is that dress over there and what was its inspiration?” Fancy Pants asked while he nudged his head towards the dress while his eyes turned back over to the mare. The unicorn took the silent message and looked at the dress herself. Once it fell in her own eyes, all of her thoughts about the thing got opened. She walked over to it and stood next to it while she laid a hoof on the back of it. “That beauty? It is for the sister of Braeburn in Appleloosa who is the cousin of Applejack, if I remember it correctly that is. Their family is just so big that it becomes hard to keep track on,” replied Rarity with joy. “But the initial design was to incorporate the family’s trademark into it, which being apples and they all have this western side of them so I wanted it to look tough.” The stallion nodded to the spoken words with an interested look on his face before he blinked slightly towards them. “Wow, that is quite the something indeed yes. And I believe I remember Applejack. She, was the mare with the hat, right? Never expected her to have such a big family, if your words have to be believed that it. Not that I am doubting you of course, milady." Rarity allowed herself a chuckle in response before she made her way over through the sea of mannequins. A sea of color and pleasant scents entered her eyes and nose before she stopped by one particular dark fabric colored dress. One which was having the designs reminiscent to that of gothic and even hinting towards that dark ages of the land. Her eyes trailed all over the dress as a thoughtful moan left her mouth. “May I ask if there is a problem?” the stallion replied as he caught the moan. Rarity gently shook her head and turned her attention back to Fancy Pants. Their eyes met one another before she spoke her words. “No, no not at all, just trying to remember for who this black masterpiece is. I do believe it is for lady Nocturne.” “Lady, Nocturne?” he asked with care in his tone. “If you don’t mind me asking, who is that?” “I don’t mind it at all, dear. But lady Nocturne is a unicorn mare who also is into science just as my friend Twilight. But she has slipped a bit into the crazy side and is put under surveillance of the princess her guards. At least that is the gossip I have heard here and there. For I never got the chance to speak to her myself sadly enough. Not even seen her once for that matter. The order got received through the mail and everything was just as if we had done a conversation. All of the measurements, the coloring, the looks. All of it through the mail, it was something of utmost curiosity to say the least if not downright creepy,” said Rarity to him while she kept her eyes on his. “Interesting, but creepy.” “My my. That is quite the mysterious order for certain. I don’t take it that you have gotten such orders before. Nonetheless, the design is just amazing. Simple, mysterious and elegant,” the stallion replied to her before he turned his eyes turned over to a dress that was mostly fit for the display. “May I ask, what that dress over there might happen to be?” “Hm? Which dress, dear?” Rarity spoke as her head peeked itself up from the mannequins. She followed the hoof that was extended by the stallion and her eyes fell upon a dress that she knew all too well. “Now that, my dear Fancy Pants, is the very dress I wore at my very first Grand Galloping Gala. Though this is the restored version. The first version got a little... destroyed.” “Hmmm, I do happen to have heard about it, Celestia found it amazing for some reason. But, it truly shows just the sheer creativity you have in that head of yours, my dear Rarity. It truly is an amazing creation in my eyes.” the stallion replied to her as he looked back to her. He could read the red blush that she had once more gained on her cheeks like it was nothing and he noticed that his word did her virtue. “I, I can’t thank you enough for your words mydear. They really mean a lot to me,” said Rarity to him. All while she tried her best to hide the blush. ~~~~   The two unicorns kept walking around for a bit more as the stallion was hit by amazement almost every second as he saw a new dress. And the purple maned unicorn told the story behind each dress that he pointed to in all of their scents and colors. But a bit faster than expected, they were through the designs as the mare spoke up her words in a polite tone. “Shall we share our cup of tea then?” “That would be delightful, milady,” replied Fancy Pants under a soft but warm smile while he then followed the unicorn through the shop and towards the living room. He couldn't help it but to notice something of interest about the circular shape and the archways. “All rooms connected to one another, if I may ask?” he asked as they entered the living room. “Not really, one can access the living room, the work area and the staircase for the upper level through the shop, but the kitchen can only be accessed by the living room. I do not like it that much when ponies can just see what I am going to eat when they come around closing time. And upstairs there is not a single connection except a walk in closest that connects my bedroom with my inspiration room,” she spoke as her red rims fell into his blue ones once again before she disappeared in the kitchen with a little sway in her hips. “Please, make yourself at home. Do you happen to have something in your tea?” “I see, yet another interesting story that is coming up from your side, and I do not have anything in my tea, thank you very much. Though do you happen to have citrus flavored tea?” the stallion spoke up before he made himself comfortable in a chair. The mare peeked her head through the archway and she looked to him with a set of curious looking eyes. “I am quite the interesting mare when it comes down to the matter, darling. And for that I have to take a small look, but I think I have,” answered Rarity before she disappeared once more into the kitchen and prepared the cups of tea. Fancy Pants made himself a little more comfortable within the chair and his eyes ever so gently started to observe the many pictures that were hung up on the wall. Pictures that held the images of many friends and family of the unicorn on many different events and occasions. Yet the one that stood out the most within his own eyes was a group picture. One of the six friends together in their perfectly styled gala dresses and each of them had a genuine expression on their face, it was something he could tell from them right away. There was a deep that sigh left his nose, a mixed sign of both happiness and sadness. Happiness for that the mare that had found her place as she did, but sadness for himself. For he didn't had such a good group of friends as that she had gained over the course of time. Most of them only did it for the bits and just to say they were friends with ‘the’ Fancy Pants from Canterlot. He would just love it to stand in her horseshoes, or next to them as the idiom goes. But life always takes turns of its own and nopony can interfere with that sadly enough and he knew that all too well. But as long as he could have Fleur Dis Lee, the true love of his life and the unicorn he was visiting, it couldn't be better for him. While it was true that Rarity also did it to with ‘the’ stallion, something in her eyes and behavior also showed that she genuinely meant her actions and words against him. And it was because of that, that he cherished the humble ivory coated unicorn as much as he did. ~~~~               Rarity had made her return into the living room with the two cups of tea being levitated in the air with the help of her magic as she walked up to the table under a warm smile. She placed both cups on it before taking place on a chair of her own. “Thank you, milady,” he replied. His own horn charged itself up a little bit and began to levitate his cup. “And cheers.” The mare discharged her horn while she took the cup with a hoof while she spoke her words with a small smile. “You are welcome my dear, and cheers to you as well.” Both of the unicorns took a sip at the same time but the eyes of the mare were starting to focus themselves on a place rather unusual. A place that was a body part of the stallion and she never as much dared to think. For it was the neck of the stallion that was visible through the sipping action. To make matters even worse, there was one of his veins that showed up with every sip he took. For some reason the sights let the heart of the mare pump a bit faster. Almost as if she was going in for the hunt on flesh while her mind was having throwbacks into a primal state. Yet the stallion was completely oblivious to her state of mind as he told his story about his job, the meeting with Fleur and how they went from just friends into lovers. In a nutshell, he told her almost most of his life. The unicorn tried her best to keep her sanity, keeping her attention to the words of the stallion but it became nearly impossible no matter what she tried. The difficulty didn't go unnoticed by him either as he said something that broke her out of it. “Are you alright, lady Rarity? I am not boring to you, am I?” “N-No, not at all,” she brought out as response. Yet it was one that came with trouble just before she emptied the rest her cup in her mouth and swallowed the liquids with a rapid speed. Then it was placed back on the table and she blinked a couple times. Her thirst had returned and she didn't wanted to lose herself even the slightest of bits while her eyes kept themselves peeked at him, at his neck to be precise. Rarity stood up from her place while the stallion sighed a little bit in relief. Though it was short lived. The unicorn mare did something rather unexpected in his eyes. For she walked up to him and she pushed him a bit further into the chair with a fore hoof before she gained a dark grin. His eyes opened themselves so wide that his monocle fell out of his eye before he blinked a couple times. “I, I do not know w-what you are going to do l-lady Rarity, b-but I am not interested in i-it.” He didn't get a response in words as the mare only pushed his head aside for the neck to become fully visible while her mouth opened itself. And then the biggest scare for him was the fact that the opened mouth revealed the elongated teeth. “Oh no,” was all he could say before a sharp pain was felt down in his neck. A pain that was caused because she had drilled her deadly canines right into the neck and they sliced into the vein to let the blood flow ever so freely into her mouth. The stallion only released a couple moans in pain while Rarity wrapped her forelegs around his head in order to hold him tightly in place as she was literally drinking from his blood. The liquids that entered her mouth had an interesting effect on the unicorn mare as it did gave her a boost in pleasure but also the fact that this liquid lest her thirst more than she thought. Though she turned greedy with it as she kept draining him from his blood. She was consuming more of it for her own as Fancy Pants lost more and more of his life force and slowly went up to the edge of passing out. During their meeting there was a violent thunderstorm which had been playing itself over the skies in Ponyville for a long time, was finally being released upon the little town. Ever since it broke out it had thrown its powerful bolts of electricity every few seconds and often went accompanied with a deafening sound to be followed. Rain was not only simply ticking, but literally pounding itself against the windows of the boutique while the howling winds did its eerie turn through the quiet and empty streets. ~~~~               In the end had the unicorn drained him from nearly all of his blood and there was nothing that left the wound through the exit wound she had made. It was only then that Rarity would have removed her lips from the wound and she looked at him with the stone cold, red rimmed eyes. She then removed herself entirely from his body as she tried to walk away from him. The desires to just go to bed had come to her, even though the reason for it was simply unknown. She didn't even cared about the fact that the stallion was dying or was already dead by her doing. Physically she happened to be present but mentally she was just everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Though the bed was never reached as she walked into the working area of the boutique for whatever reason. And it was there where she simply fell to the ground and her head made contact with the hard floor a bit too much for her liking. As a result, she was knocked out in an instant and lost her memory of every single event that has occurred that night. All while the stallion never left his position. Being almost completely drained and even killed by a mare nopony thought even to be able do such a thing. Her price would be heavier than she could have ever expected to be. Though before he truly passed away to the hereafter, Fancy Pants managed to speak his last words deep under his breath. “W-Why... milady..?” And then he took his terminal breath.